It's Good to be Happy.

Well, at least one of them is happy....

Grunion Run!

Nighty night....

US Surfing Open. Some lady gave Kavella a flavored water (after K asked for it) and she was so happy to receive it! Not that I watch "The Real Housewives of New Jersey," but Kavella is "on display, on display, on display...." Okay, I do watch it.

Sittin' fireside, eatin' some corn on the cob.

Snaking Eden's birthday presents...

Whoa, whoa, the only reason my hands look that big is because they are the closest to the camera...I swear. No, really, I'm swearing--stupid man-hands!

Granny love.

It's getting a bit crowded in our truck...Kavella resorts to propping her tootsies on the chair in front of her, while I prop my feet on the dashboard.

We lost the little plastic piece that held our kite open, so Dustin MacGuyvered it with a stick he found! Dustin is AMAZING!

Worked!

Best shake ever. Chocolate Oreo Cookie Mocha. BLT Burger on the strip in Las Vegas.

Nom, nom, nom, nom, fast-flowing bottle.

Thanks for the birthday cupcakes, Deina!

Don't worry, that Halloween-themed bib that Kavella wears year round is getting closer and closer to the "appropriate" time of the year to wear it....

Standing up...

Sitting down. Pretty much, I slip into comfy pants the minute I get home. Jeans are just so confining, stiff and uncomfortable!

Oh, You Got Swaddled Son!

We got to see Dalin for about 15 minutes, which we loved! Dalin spent a few weeks with his Grandma and Grandpa down in Carlsbad, then he hitched a ride with Dad and Bryce back home. I yearn for time with my family because they mean everything to me. Nothing is more satisfying to me than being around my loved ones.

Dad and Bryce got to stay for a couple days after Mom had to fly back home. When Mom left, I felt soooooo sad, but my sadness was slightly abated by still having my dad and brother there. It's always fun to visit the tide pools, so off we went! Dad looks good holding a purse, right?

XOXOXO. I wish we could see Curren a little better...or at all.

This is our first family photo! My heart swells with love for my family and my blessings. The Lord has given me everything I could have asked for and more. I am absolutely, completely happy with my life and my family. My biggest fear in life is to lose any member of my family. Thankfully, I know we'll be together for eternity.

Eden and Kavella. I love that they are best friends--we are so lucky to live near the Pilkingtons!

One morning, Kavella woke up cheerful (like usual), climbed out of her crib and came out to the living room to greet us. I was lying on the couch with Curren, which is where I had been for the previous 6 hours or so. Kavella came and gave her baby brother a kiss and then gave me a hug and a kiss. Suddenly, a serious look came across her face and she said, pointing to my face, "Oh, somethin's stinky in you Mom!" Yup, she's now old enough to recognize morning breath.

We only color on paper.

Oh, my sweet, darling, beautiful, succulent baby boy! I love him!

Oh, you got swaddled son! (I took that saying from Colleen) It turns out, Curren HATES being swaddled, so there's 25 bucks down the drain.

Yea! The Straws moved down to Huntington! How lucky are we to all live in the same town!?

Aw, my other sweet, darling, gorgeous, kind baby girl! I love her! (I can gush because a) my kids are perfect b) this blog serves the purpose of memorializing our family history and c) I do what I want!)

The first time Kavella saw me nursing Curren, she asked what I was doing and I told her that I was feeding him breakfast. She thought about that for a moment, then quizzically she asked, "Baby brother eat your boobies?" Ha, ha, ha!

Up-the-nose shot!

Surf City, USA.

Why does my kid have the face of someone viewing a most offensive, disgusting act--say, a child playing with a massive booger, a poop-eating toddler or one person vomiting on another? None of those examples were present that day. No, no, it was merely bc Mom looked "bad" in our first picture attempt of getting palm trees in the shot, even though I thought we all looked just fine. Mom threatened my life if I posted it, so here you go--I offer Kavella up as a sacrifice for your beauty, Mom! As Kavella frequently says, "Oh, sorry. That's my fault." A CHILD taking responsibility. Now, that's love. JK, you know I love you Mom!

Awkward family photos! In our defense, we have a really LARGE bed that can accommodate us all.

Time for a surfing lesson! Dustin is the master of all things water, so he was the perfect instructor for Bryce. First things first: getting into a wetsuit.

"I'm gonna point to an ideal surf spot, but let's be honest...you'll pretty much be bobbing and splashing around at random..."

"Now, when the wave comes, this is how you 'pop' up..."

"In reality, the wave is going to SLAM the crap out of you! Have fun--let's go!"

"Paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle."

"Yea! Bryce did it! Da na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na..."

Best friends forever.

I love my Dad!

Pelicans don't normally sit on the beach like this; poor guy was hurt.

No one can come visit us without having their picture taken in front of these concrete surfboards.

We went on a Sunday evening stroll to Main St. where Kavella got this surely-covered-with a blood-borne disease from our local crack addicted clown. Good times.

Cuddle bug, cutie pea!